FIR against Gowda, Krishna, Yeddyurappa on highway project

Source :

Last Updated: Sat, Nov 17, 2012 17:08 hrs

Bangalore: A first information report (FIR) was Saturday filed by police against three former Karnataka chief ministers − H.D. Deve Gowda, S.M. Krishna and B.S. Yeddyurappa − over their alleged role in irregularities in a highway project.

The FIR was filed by police attached to Lokayukta (ombudsman) against the three former chief ministers and 27 others, including senior executives of the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE) which is executing the 111−km Bangalore−Mysore Expressway project, a Lokayukta spokesperson told reporters here.

The complaint alleging grant of excess land for the project was filed in the Lokayukta court by a Bangalore−based social activist T.J. Abraham.

The Rs.4,000−crore project consisting of 111−km expressway and several townships has been mired in controversy over allegations that NICE was allotted land far in excess of the project requirement.

The complaint, filed Aug 27, alleged irregularities in the acquisition of farmers' lands for the project and wanted the court to attach the 6,999 acres allotted for the project.

The memorandum of understanding for the project was signed in 1995 when Gowda was the chief minister. Krishna was chief minister between 1999 and 2004, while Yeddyurappa headed the state government between 2008 and 2011.

Lokayukta court's Judge N.K. Sudhindra Rao Oct 25 ordered that the role of the three former chief ministers and others be probed.